Last Updated on January 25, 2025 by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Express gratitude to the Guru on Guru Purnima and receive divine grace and blessings!
Guru Purnima is a celebration in honor of the Guru, which includes both spiritual masters and educational teachers.
In sanskrit, “Gu” means darkness or ignorance and “Ru” means remover of darkness. So, the word Guru means “one who removes the darkness of our ignorance.”
Guru Purnima falls on the auspicious full moon day in the Hindu month of Aashadh (June–July).
The Spiritual Guru
The spiritual Guru is not only a physical being, but also a reflection of divinity through a human body. The Guru is the example we want to follow and provides the inspiration which gives us the energy to proceed.
Often, we are reminded of verse 96 of the Guru Gita: “na guroradhikam — na guroradhikam — na guroradhikam” which means “there is nothing greater than the Guru! There is nothing greater than the Guru! There is nothing greater than the Guru!”
Essentially this verse is recognizing that we all have teachers. We all learn from each other and from life. At its essence, Guru Purnima is a celebration of gratitude to all of our teachers, to life itself, and to our spiritual evolution.
The Guru Gita is an important scripture for understanding the relationship between the Guru and the disciple. Devi Mandir’s rendition of the Guru Gita can be found in the book Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess.
Suggested Ways to Honor the Guru
On Guru Purnima, we honor the Guru by performing a Guru Puja and chanting the Guru Gita.
This is an ideal opportunity for disciples to reaffirm your commitment to follow the Guru’s guidance and teachings. The greatest offering to the Guru is to show how their teachings and examples have influenced our understanding and actions.
Guru Purnima Celebrations at the Devi Mandir
In 2020, Shree Maa will be flying home from India on Guru Purnima, and Swamiji will be in Los Angeles with his Mother. We suggest that all devotees celebrate Guru Purnima in their homes with a Puja to the Guru followed by the chanting of the Guru Gita. Because of the global pandemic, we will not be gathering for our traditional Guru Purnima celebration, but our collective gratitude for the Guru will bring Divine Grace upon us all.
Thank you Shree Maa and Swamiji!